Still it was that one move — or non-move — that raised the eyebrows of and indeed irked many fans: He kept Brad Mills on as manager.

Perhaps he didn’t want to bring a new manager into the early transition that he knew would be brutal. Perhaps it was the money since the Astros were on the hook for salaries of the entire coaching staff for 2012. Or perhaps he saw something he liked in Mills and wanted to give it a shot.

Whichever the scenario, it’s beginning to seem clear that Mills is a lame duck manager who won’t be around next season.

Now, it seems, the horse is out of the proverbial barn. The questions will only grow as the season grinds along through the rest of July and into August and September.

As the Astros take a break before starting the second half, Mills is still without a contract for 2013 (though he does have an option) and he is receiving that ah-oh vote of confidence…sort of. Luhnow told us on Blogger Night that he liked working with Mills. He even referred to Mills’ use of some of the sabermetrics as positive progress.

He repeated to Ken Rosenthal this week that he and the Astros’ third-year manager “get along well”.

Honestly, this is a decision that won’t wait until the post season. Sure, the announcement may not happen until October, and Mills may finish out the season. And there may not be a full-fledged search until winter.

But the die has been cast. At this point, it would be more of a shocker if Mills stayed on next season than if he were fired.

Consider this: If Pettini is indeed on the short list of possible long-term replacements — but not necessarily Luhnow’s first choice — it would be awkward to fire Mills now and tag the bench coach with the interim tag now, only to return him to bench coach after hiring another manager.

Also, the middle of the season is not exactly the time to conduct the best search for a manager you hope to be in the role for several years.

While the leading candidates seem to come from the Cardinals’ brand, according to Rosenthal, — Luhnow’s former home — it’s comforting to know that the first-year GM won’t necessarily exhaust all options with St. Louis at the expense of examining other avenues. Former GM Ed Wade seemed determined to work with his former club, the Phillies, more than others. Already, though, Luhnow seems more balanced, working trades with Boston, Los Angeles (the trade that didn’t happen because Lee rejected) and Miami.

The Astros won 56 games last season. At one point just a few weeks ago, they were on track for 70+ wins, which would have translated into a 14-17 game improvement. That’s likely the range Mills needs to win an extension. Otherwise, a meager improvement — despite the necessary constant roster shuffle — may not be enough to bring him back. And, in the end, it may not be about wins and losses at all. It may be more about relationship, moving into the new age of baseball managing and the ability to train and build younger players.

Already, the names of possible replacements are surfacing: Jim Riggleman, Chris Maloney, Bo Porter, and, of course, Pettini. Others undoubtedly will roll out over the coming weeks and months. Some fans have already placed former managers Phil Garner and Larry Dierker in the mix, but those would be bigger shockers than if Mills returns.